


Rock Me Like a Hurricane

by shirewalker



Category: The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, But also, F/M, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn With Plot, Smut, alina really wanted to have some fun in the sheets I guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-07-13 16:41:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16021865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shirewalker/pseuds/shirewalker
Summary: Alina has been celibate for over a year and she needs some release... And Nikolai is sitting right there.Friends with benefits AU cuz these two could use with any excuse to bang basically xD





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> was going to update She's Magic tonight but I'm not in the right mood to edit the chapter so here's a new short story for you thirsty nerds ╰( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° )つ──☆*:・ﾟ

 

 

 

She needed to get laid. Zoya and Genya had noted this fact before as well. Alina sighed and turned her laptop off before picking up her current read and joining Nikolai on the couch. It’d been too long since she’d had a proper sexual encounter and she was beginning to feel the effects. But going out to pick up a guy just for sex felt too… Not her.

Her eyes strayed up when Nikolai shifted on his spot. He seemed to be busy with something on his tablet, tapping at it every few seconds. Maybe he was playing a game, or working on new schematics for his next invention. He shifted again and crossed an ankle over his knee, giving Alina a clear view of his…

She looked away, a blush bright on her cheeks. Oh, she really needed to get laid. Soon. She was starting to fantasize too much about her best friend and flat mate. Well… Starting? Alina bit her lip and focused on her book. She lived with Nikolai, she got plenty of chances to see him underdressed. Very underdressed. She’d seen enough to find herself fantasizing about him late at night, when she just couldn’t help herself anymore. It was a secret she’d take to the grave, but many of her dirtiest dreams involved Nikolai. So many.

Something sparked in her mind.

“Nikolai?” She interrupted whatever he was doing.

He looked up, the hazel in his eyes as surprising as the first time she’d met him. “Yes?”

“I…” She cleared her throat and watched as he put his tablet away to drink some water, “I think we should have sex.”

Water sprayed all over the coffee table, going as far as the opposite edge of the fluffy teal carpet that lined the floor of their living room. Nikolai coughed several times before setting down the glass and looking back at her. “You… What?”

His voice was rough, most likely because of the coughing but it was still enough to turn her on. She barrelled on, already far in too deep in this, “I think we should have sex. You know,” she shrugged, “I haven’t had sex in ages and I really want to, and as far as I know you haven’t had any either, nor have you dated. And we’re best friends. I mean, we’d be doing each other a favour, actually!” She managed to not wince at her accidental pun, glad that Nikolai still stared at her without blinking. “Plus, you have claimed to be a great lay plenty of times. Maybe I could see that for myself.”

Nikolai swallowed down thickly before speaking, “I… I’m not sure, Alina. This isn’t exactly… the kind of favour friends do for each other.” A playful smirk danced for a moment on his lips, “Though it is true I am a great lay. You could just believe my word, I don’t need your approval.”

Alina huffed and put her book away, “I just dared you to prove you’re that good, Nikolai. What’s holding you back?” She sure was dead set on this now the words were out, huh? Well, no matter, she would conquer this battle. She needed to. Because her hand was not going to be enough tonight.

Nikolai leaned back on the couch and passed a hand through his hair, the movement so casual yet so arousing Alina found herself biting back a moan, “We’re best friends, Alina. I don’t want things to get weird between us because of sex.”

She waved off his words, “They won’t. If they didn’t get weird when I found out who you really were, they won’t get weird with this.” Nikolai didn’t reply. So, she got up.

His eyes widened a little when she freed the coffee table and sat right in front of him, “What are you doing?”

She put her hands on his knees and parted them a little, “Nikolai…” Her voice dropped, growing husky, “Please. I want this.” Her eyes dropped to his crotch and a smirk grew on her lips just as her panties grew wet, “You clearly want this too. So, why not? Let me test your claims first-hand.”

Nikolai’s knuckles turned white with the effort to stay put, “Alina… Are you sure?”

She nodded and leaned in, kneeling down as her hands moved forward, pressing against the hard muscles of his thighs, “Yes.” She reached for his belt, “Let me… Convince you.” Finally, Nikolai closed his eyes and dropped his head back, nodding a little as she slowly pulled the zipper down. She licked her lips at the sight of his arousal. He was so hard already. All it took was her openly suggesting them having sex and playing with his thighs. Saints, she wanted to make him groan under her touch. She grabbed him gently and fondled for a few moments, pausing just enough to tease his length with the tip of her tongue. Nikolai made a sound in the back of his throat, a hand knotting in her hair as she deepened her teasing. His groans were music for her ears, and the way he moaned her name was enough to have her dangling on her very own edge. Nikolai bucked his hips and she knew he was close.

“Wait…” His voice was pained. He didn’t want to wait, not really.

She looked up, “Why?”

Nikolai met her eyes and licked his lips, “I don’t want to come like this.” She rose an eyebrow, “If we’re doing this, at least let me have a say on it.”

“What do you suggest then?” She asked, still holding on to him.

“First, my room. Then, I’ll show you just exactly how good I am.” His confidence was coming back quickly, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he spoke. “You want proof, I’ll give you proof.”

 

* * *

 

Alina clawed at his sheets. Deep green silk, illegally soft against her burning skin. Nikolai had taken her quickly to his room, making sure to undress her slow enough to have her breathing so heavily by the time he laid her down that Alina was ready to come with just one kiss. He’d taken off his clothes and climbed on top of her. And then he’d kissed her, capturing her parted lips between his own in a kiss capable of setting fire to fire itself. He tasted deliriously delicious. Of hot cocoa and whipped cream, what he’d had minutes before Alina’s sudden proposal. His lips were eager to please Alina, gliding and pulling and pressing her own lips until she was nothing but a moaning mess.

Then, Nikolai turned her around and sat up, pulling her flush against his chest. Alina felt how hard he was against her backside, his body hot even against her heated skin. A hand captured her breast, kneading on the tender skin until Alina was shaking, another disappeared much lower, his finger quick to dip between her wet folds. “Saints…! So good…” Alina dropped her head to the side with a moan, savouring the way Nikolai touched her. As he kneaded on her breast, Nikolai traced the length of her neck up to her earlobe, pulling it softly until Alina gasped.

Nikolai dipped another finger, tracing tantalising circles inside of her, and Alina rolled her hips with his movements, reaching back to knot her hand in his golden locks. She let out moan after moan as Nikolai built her up, his hands doing a fantastic job of pushing her closer and closer to her edge, teasing her with a view that was simply breathtaking. He pumped his fingers faster inside of her when Alina caught him in a kiss, already wanting more of those lips of his.

“Saints…Nikolai… Oh…!” She moaned against his mouth, his hands criminally good with her body, “Your ego will love this… Oh, yes…!” She bucked her hips when he hit a sweet spot deep inside of her.

He nibbled on her neck before pressing a long kiss against the tender skin, “What will my ego love?”

She grasped for words, too distracted by his fingers and his hand and his lips and his hardness against her but not inside of her. “You’re really good. So good. So damn fantastic!” She cried out then, just when Nikolai pumped another finger between her folds and hit another sweet spot.

He laid her down and Alina peered through hooded eyes at his dishevelled state. His hair was a mess, completely undone by her hands, locks matted to his head as sweat began to gather on his perfect skin. His eyes were glazed with lust and his mouth seemed to be far too lonely without her own. “Thank you, Alina. But…” He reached for a condom, somehow, and readied himself, “I’m not quite done yet.”

She watched his movements, suddenly smug for having kissed _that_. “It better end with both of us unable to walk properly in the morning.” She rasped, chest heaving as Nikolai parted her legs.

He cupped her cheek, a gesture so gentle and sweet it made her hold her breath, “I never break my promises, Alina. No matter what.” And then he sank into her. And it was even better than all of her fantasies combined.

Alina held hard to him, fingers digging into his shoulders as he drew out and thrust back inside of her with one long and fast thrust. “Oh!!” She moaned, the sound so loud she was sure neighbours would hear them. Her reaction seemed to be just what Nikolai needed, because he didn’t stop. In fact, he picked up his pace, slowly but surely. “Harder…! Yes…! YES!” Each of her demand was met with a stronger thrust, with a faster pace, Nikolai’s moans and groans arousing her more and more until she was sure she would end the night seeing newborn stars.

“Saints…” Nikolai pressed his forehead to hers, eyes shut in deep concentration, “You’re so beautiful, Alina…! Oh… Saints...!” He moaned when she hooked a leg around him and brought him down fast, hitting yet another undiscovered sweet spot.

“Harder, Nikolai! Please…! HARDER!” She screamed his name, louder and louder, until her throat was raw, until she was sure she would collapse from existence, until one final thrust from his has pushing her over the edge of the universe and her very being was bursting to dust. In one moment she was a human clawing for her orgasm, the next she was stardust. Pure, exhilarated stardust.

And then, as he cried out her name, Nikolai followed her, shuddering hard as Alina rode the last bits of her orgasm.

 

* * *

 

Sleep would come so fast that Alina wouldn’t even be able to remember when they had untangled their bodies and hid under his sheets. She was sure Nikolai had guided them through it, but she wasn’t really awake by then, just on auto-pilot as her depleted body tried to restore itself.

She woke up hours later, drowning in darkness. Her body was sore, but still… aching for more. Shamelessly, she rolled on the bed and searched for Nikolai. As her eyes grew used to the darkness, she saw him splayed on his back, his breathing slow. He was still asleep.

“Nikolai…” She sang under her breath and poked his nose. He frowned a little a swatted at her, mumbling something about five minutes. She pursed her lips, now wide awake, and looked on for another moment. A wicked grin spread on her lips, “Fine. We’ll do this my way.”

She placed her hand on his chest and moved down slowly, pressing just hard enough for her palm to feel the hard muscles under his soft skin. How did he have such perfect skin without any effort? Her body grew taunt with anticipation as her hand slid under his sheet, the dark green fabric covering him just above his hipbones. Nikolai groaned in his sleep, her touching no doubt having slipped into his dreams. She bit her lip hard when she felt him growing hard under her touch. Saints, already? What was he dreaming about?

“Alina…” She froze mid-stroke when he moaned her name.

“Yes?”

“Alina… Oh…” He moaned again and she watched with fascination as his hand met hers. Was he going to…? Oh. He was. As Nikolai wrapped his hand around hers and helped her movements, Alina grew hotter than boiling water. This was not what she’d planned but saints, it was hot. She looked back at him expecting a smug expression on his face. But to her surprise, he was still sleeping. He was having a dirty dream with her!

All wonderfully arousing, but she wanted seconds with him awake.

She leaned in and whispered in his ear before taking her hand back, “Nikolai…”

Something seemed to finally stir him awake, whether it was the disappearance of her hand or her whispering in his ear, she wasn’t sure, but soon enough Nikolai was blinking awake. His hazel eyes fell on her and even in the darkness she noticed the way his cheeks grew darker. “Yes?” He cleared his throat, hand still under the sheet.

“I can’t go back to sleep.”

Nikolai rose an eyebrow at her all-too-innocent tone, “Really?” He cupped her nape and drew her closer, “And how can I help you, my dearest Alina?”

Her eyes fluttered closed at the huskiness in his voice, “I have a few ideas.” She straddled him in a moment, splaying her hands on his broad shoulders, “I’m rather fond of this one.”

Nikolai shifted under her and a moan escaped her at the press between her thighs, “I’m rather fond of it too.” He stroked her thighs for a moment before reaching over to his bedside table. When he laid back on his pillow, a condom was in his hand, “But maybe we should take precautions, no?”

Honestly, in that moment Alina felt like tempting fate. She just really wanted to feel him inside of her. But she nodded anyway and soon enough she was sliding onto him, groaning in pleasure at the fit. “Saints, this feels so damn good…”

Nikolai slid a hand to the small of her back, the movement so tender it took her breath away. He stroked her skin with soft, slow brushes of his hand, his eyes locked on hers. There was a fire in them so deep it made her feel naked in a way her physical nakedness had never made her feel.

Something tugged deep in her heart and for a moment it scared Alina frozen.

“This is your idea, Alina…” Nikolai said after a moment, probably sensing the shift in her mood. “We do whatever you wish to do.”

She wished to avoid whatever his gaze made her feel. And she wished to ride him so hard she forgot her own name. So, she started to move.

Nikolai dropped his head back as soon as she began rocking her hips, coming down on him slowly enough to make him moan, a sound that Alina had quickly grown a fan of. She held fast to his shoulders and adjusted her body to his as she continued moving, each rock of her hips pushing him deeper into her. Deeper and harder, hitting all those right spots, filling her so completely it was borderline criminal. She dropped her head back with a loud moan when Nikolai thrust into her, their pace picking up just like that.

“Saints…!” She rocked her hips faster, riding him so hard it was a wonder they hadn’t broken his bed yet. Saints, her drought had turned her into a nymphomaniac. The thought was fleeting in the back of her mind, her body wanting nothing more than for her to never stop moving, never stop taking him. More, more, more! Her mind was melting to nothing, her blood was boiling, and yet she still wanted more.

“Alina…!” Nikolai groaned under her, his hands tight on her waist, as he moved with her with as much urgency as that of hers.

“Saints, Nikolai…!” She moaned, “Touch me. Touch me please!”

Nikolai reached for her and brushed her clit with his thumb, pushing her deeper into that moment of ecstasy that was so close, so close, so close!

“YES! OH YES!” She came undone at last, her orgasm so violent it shook her to her core. For a moment she saw nothing but stars, her throat raw from her cries, her body hot and wound up tight from their encounter.

“Don’t stop, Alina… Please, oh… Please!” Nikolai begged her as she rode her orgasm to its final drop, raw pleasure rolling off of her with each thrust, until Nikolai came undone as well, until her body was nothing but gelatine.

She rolled off of him and dropped on her back, certain that now she was really and utterly exhausted. “God. That was brilliant.”

Nikolai breathed heavily beside her, “Truly brilliant. And you didn’t have the view I had.”

She smacked him lightly, too tired to do anything more. Too tired from mind-blowing sex with Nikolai. She’d been celibate for over a year, expecting her next sexual encounter to be awkward and just mildly satisfying. But Nikolai had blown to dust all of her expectations. In fact, he’d made sure any future encounters she might have would pale in comparison to him.

 

* * *

 

Alina stirred awake, her body so sore it was a wonder she could even breathe. She cracked an eye open and found the pillow next to her… empty. Where was Nikolai?

She sat up at the sound of footsteps outside his door, clutching the sheet to her body. It was surprisingly colder now that her body was back to its normal temperature. Nikolai stepped through the door, breakfast tray in hands. He wore his pyjama pants, the ones with little phoenixes printed all over them. Alina used to think them a little too dorky, but in that moment, they were the sexiest thing she’d ever seen,

“Good morning, sunshine.” Nikolai placed the tray on the bed, “You were still asleep so I figured I’d go ahead and get breakfast ready.” He flashed a wicked grin, full of lewd edges, “We did deplete ourselves last night.”

Yes. And it was the best, hottest night Alina had ever had in her whole life. One night was far too little, honestly. She rolled her eyes, trying to act as though a new idea wasn’t forming in her head. She grabbed her mug of coffee and drunk a little, “Oh, hum, yes this is good. Thank you, Nikolai. I really needed this.”

His eyes dropped to her hand clutching the sheet and a little blush colouring his cheeks, “You’re welcome, Alina.”

She realised her words could apply to last night as well. Her cheeks heated up, her idea still blazing in her mind, “Nikolai?”

“Yes, sunshine?”

That nickname. Why…? She shook her head, saving these questions for later. “Last night was incredible. You really are an incredible lay. I mean, please don’t let your ego outgrow this loft, but you made me see stars.”

He flashed a smirk far too cocky for her taste, “Why thank you, sunshine. I do my best. And,” he paused, “You were incredible as well. I’m pretty certain I too saw stars.”

She rolled her eyes, “You’re such an idiot sometimes.” She leaned in to take a bite out of her blini, buying time to phrase her next sentence properly. “We should do it again.”

Nikolai blinked at her, “Breakfast?”

“Sex.” She deadpanned.

He arched his eyebrows, “Oh.”

“I mean,” She gestured vaguely, “Like, more often. Not right now. I’m too hungry anyway. Like, huh, friends with benefits! We’re friends, we have great sex together, we could easily do this.”

Nikolai watched her for a moment, something undiscernible in his eyes, “Friends with benefits?” He seemed to ponder the proposal, “And how would you explain this to everyone? I mean, one night of sex is easily kept secret or blamed on a number of reasons, but regular sex?”

Alina put her coffee down. Well, he had a point. “We can keep it just between us. No one needs to know how we deal with our sexual needs, right?”

“I suppose.”

“So, you’re in?”

Nikolai fought back a smirk at her accidental pun and shook his head softly, “I guess I am, Alina. Are you sure about it?”

“Yes.” She needed more of last night. She desperately needed it.

“Then I suppose we are now best friends with benefits.”

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometime into their new arrangement, Alina's friends comment on some stuff they noticed different, hmmm.  
> Also, there's a scarf moment ;)

 

 

 

Nikolai’s naked body was a vision. Completely, stark naked body. Not just the wrapped-in-a-towel naked or in-his-boxers naked kind. And now that they were having sex on the regular, Alina couldn’t get enough of the sight. And no one should judge her. She had eyes, Nikolai had something worth ogling, so… she ogled. A lot.

Which sometimes got her into some very tight spots.

“I’m so late, Nikolai!!” Alina screamed as she rushed out the bathroom, hair in the messiest bun she had ever attempted in her whole life, toothpaste dripping down her chin.

Nikolai gestured at it and Alina quickly cleaned up with his napkin, paying no mind to his complaint, “It’s your fault! So shut it!” She reached for her coat and missed the sleeve three times. “Dammit…!”

“How is this my fault, Alina?” He inquired.

She shot him a glare dangerous enough to kill on the spot, “You, and your body, and your games of seduction in the early morning!” Saints damn her. She’d woken up just as Nikolai was returning from the bathroom, stark naked, and she hadn’t been able to resist. Not even for half a second.

The smirk that grew on Nikolai’s face was so mischievous it put the word to shame, “Alina, I didn’t do anything. You’re the one that demanded ‘breakfast’.” He continued eating his breakfast in an infuriating calm pace.

“You knew I had brunch with Genya today! You could have…” She finally put on her coat like a proper person and fetched her bag, “I don’t know, said no? Reminded me of said brunch?”

He drank some of his orange juice, “I did.”

“Maybe also said something about how in the morning we always take longer?” She hissed before grabbing her keys and checking she had both shoes on and her phone in her bag. She was late already, all because of him!

Nikolai finished his toast and dusted off his hands, “I also commented that.”

“While you were inside of me!” She looked at the clock on the wall, “Oh no! I missed the train!” She looked back at the bastard with great bed skills, “You’re going to your lab today, aren’t you?”

He arched a brow, “Yes…”

“Give me a ride.”

“Your brunch is on the other side of Os Alta.” He calmly set his dishes in the washing machine and cleaned up his spot at the table. Nikolai even had the nerve to already be fully and perfectly dressed. The nerve!

“You owe me! You had morning sex and are looking pretty satisfied, so… You. Owe. ME!” She stomped her foot. She actually stomped her foot!

“What about your car?” He really was playing her, wasn’t he?

“You know it’s at the mechanic. Come on, Nikolai.”

He sighed, “Fine, Alina. I’ll take you. But because you’re my dearest and bestest friend.” His smile was so angelic, Alina wished she could slap it off.

 

* * *

 

“Want me to pick you up later?” Nikolai turned the radio off, “I’m going home for lunch.”

She looked at the café and shook her head, “I’ll ask the girls if anyone’s going my way. If no one does, I’ll text you.”

He flashed a grin, “Oh, and then we’ll have… ‘lunch’?”

She rolled her eyes and opened the door, “It was one time, Nikolai! I was super stressed and needed the release.”

He nodded, “I know. You really needed it.”

Alina ignored him and walked to the café. She was halfway to the door when he called her again. Nikolai rushed to her with a bright yellow scarf in hand, “You dropped this.”

She reached for it, “Oh. Thanks!”

Nikolai shook his head, “No, let me.” And then he hooked it around her neck, tying it in a loose simple knot before fluffing her hair free. He paused to look at her, “There. Now you’re ready.”

Alina rolled her eyes, hoping he didn’t notice the way her cheeks turned a little darker, “Thanks. Now go. We’re both late now.”

“Call me?”

“Yeah, yeah.” She waved him off and rushed into the café.

 

* * *

 

“Sorry!” Alina sat on her chair, almost sliding off of it in her rush.

“You should be, you’re half an hour late! What happened?” Genya said, her angry tone dimmed by the smile she was fighting to hold back. Genya was terrible at pretending to be mad when she had better moods to dwell in.

Alina bought time as she settled her back and untied her scarf, “Hum, my alarm didn’t go off. I woke up barely on time for the train and then, of course, I missed it.”

“So you had Nikolai drive you here?” Zoya arched a brow and Alina instantly wished this brunch hadn’t happened at all. Her blue eyed friend was far too smart. Her calculating gaze was already listing every detail of Alina’s arrival. The rush, the blushed cheeks, the scarf and the knot she couldn’t quite pull off, the averted eyes.

“He offered me a ride, Zoya. I didn’t force him to do anything.”

“No, you’re right. It looked the complete opposite of forced anything.” Zoya’s tone was far too dismissive. She may be letting it go, but she sure was heck wasn’t done yet.

Genya, however, didn’t want to wait for the next cue, “You’re right…” She took a sip of her tea before continuing, “How long have you two been secretly dating?”

Tea sprayed out of Alina’s mouth and soon she was coughing very much like Nikolai had the first night they’d had sex. She coughed alone, her two best friends just mildly worried over her coughing fit. When she was capable of speaking and as red as the roses in the bushes outside the café, Alina stared at her friend, “Dating? What the hell gave you that idea Genya?” That sounded too suspicious, “We’re not dating, by the way. Secretly or not.” That didn’t sound any better.

But then Genya sagged a little against her chair, “Oh. Really? Well, you two have been awfully cosy in the past couple of months. And just now, the way Nikolai gave you your scarf? That was the cutest thing I’d seen all week!”

Panic threatened to make a fool out of Alina if she didn’t play it as casually as possible. “We haven’t been cosier lately and we are not dating. Come on, are you two so blinded by your own relationships you’re starting to see things?” Good. Turn it on them.

Zoya scoffed, “Seriously, Alina? Do you think _I_ would have romance goggles? Ever?” She crossed her arms, “All right. If you two aren’t dating, then you definitely are sleeping together.”

Oh saints above and forgotten. She should have let them think she and Nikolai were secretly dating. Because having her friends suspect of their sexual activities was even worse. So much worse. “That’s ridiculous, Zoya. Nikolai and I are best friends.”

Zoya’s scoff almost blew Alina away, “How is being best friends and sleeping together mutually exclusive?”

She was in a hole and it had no footholds and it was pouring. She was going to leave this brunch with all her secrets revealed if she didn’t find a way to distract her friends. So, she said the less helpful thing she could think of, “Nikolai and I are not secretly dating nor sleeping together, all right? If we look cosy it’s just because we’re close! And if his giving me my scarf is your best clue, then we would have been married already!”

“Look, you don’t need to get all defensive, we were just pointing out something we’ve all been thinking for a while now.” Genya took a bite off her cake slice, its peachy colour making Alina wonder just what it tasted like. “You two have always been very flirty with each other, so when you grew closer, it only made sense to assume you were dating.”

She blinked fast, trying to quench the unexpected butterflies that bloomed in her stomach, “Flirty? Genya, we have endless banter. That’s not flirting.”

Zoya laughed and got up, “Oh saints, this is hilarious. I’m going to the bathroom, try not to poison me while I’m gone.”

Alina looked at Genya for a long time before her friend put down her fork and sighed, “If you say nothing’s going on, we believe you, Alina. But we had to ask. Like I said, you two look like you _are_ together.”

“We’re not together and you can spread the word. Now, did you plan this brunch just to ask about my dating life or to talk about something else?” She reached for a chocolate cupcake and congratulated herself on changing the subject without a hiccup. Smooth and natural change of subject. Perfect.

“Well, I do have some news I want to tell you girls. Tamar and Nadia haven’t arrived yet, stuck in traffic or something, so I don’t know if I should tell you already or wait for them.”

Alina slid to the edge of her seat, “Did you finally propose to David?”

Genya blushed and played with her hair, “Actually… _He_ proposed.” She said in a tiny voice, struggling to keep her smile from blooming too bright.

“OH MY GOD!! GENYA!!!” She jumped off her seat to pull Genya into a hug so tight she almost broke her friend’s bones, “I’m so happy for you two!! SO HAPPY!!!”

Genya’s laughter was as pretty as she was, light and bubbly and so, so happy, “Thank you, Alina. I’m really happy too! But,” She pulled away a little, “I wanted to tell you all together!”

Alina sobered just like that and mimicked locking her lips and throwing away the key, “I’ll keep my mouth shut until they’re all here. Promise!”

“I hope so. I want to be the one to tell the news, all right?”

She shot both hands up, “I said I promise!”

 

* * *

 

Nikolai’s lips traced her spine, his hands skimming her breasts as he moved down, so slow it felt like time was sleeping in that moment. Alina clawed at her sheets as each kiss drew lower and lower, her mind full of nothing but Nikolai and his excellent hands. Well, almost full.

Despite the fact that what Nikolai was doing to her right now was incredibly hot and distracting, Genya’s words replayed in the back of her mind on and on and on. It was almost as distracting as Nikolai’s foreplay. Which meant that Alina’s moans were only half-hearted, much to her chagrin.

Nikolai kissed the back of her neck and pressed against her just a little, just enough to draw a gasped moan out of her, “Something wrong, Alina?” He whispered in her ear before teasing her skin with a flick of his tongue.

Alina bit her lip and cursed her friends for ruining the moment, “No, I just…” She sighed and rolled onto her back. Nikolai braced himself and waited, “The girls said some things today and it’s been playing on repeat in the back of my head. I can’t stop thinking about it.”

He pushed her hair away, the gesture not helping her case at all. Was this the kind of thing that had her friends suspecting of a relationship between them? “What things?”

“What?” She breathed.

“What things did they say?”

“Oh.” She sighed, “They think we’re secretly dating. Or secretly sleeping together.”

Nikolai flashed his cocky grin and she had half a mind to slap it away, “Well, they’re not entirely wrong. We are secretly sleeping together. Why are you so worked up over this?”

“I just… It’s our secret. I don’t want them finding out.”

Something flashed in his eyes, too fast for Alina to guess what it was, before a wicked glint took over. “For the good of my ego, I’ll wager this being a secret is a big turn on for you. No?” He said before leaning down and kissing her neck slowly, dragging a low moan out of her.

“I guess. It’s possible, yes…”

“Tell me what you want Alina. Do you want me to stop…?” His breath tickled her lips, holding a kiss just out of reach, “Or do you want me to make those voices go away?”

She hooked a hand on his neck, “Make them go away, Nikolai. Please. Turn my brain into a thoughtless puddle.”

Nikolai wasted no time in sinking into her and rolling them over until she was straddling him. She shot him a glare and he flashed a sheepish grin, “I like it when you take charge. Plus, I get to do this…” He brushed his thumb over her clit. Alina pressed her hands to his chest and sucked in a breath, his touch going straight for the kill.

“Oh, I’m going to make you pay…” She let out between moans as Nikolai teased her relentlessly. It was so difficult to be mad at him when he was doing what she’d asked, and doing it so well. She started to move, drawing out and sinking back down as he teased her clit over and over again. Her blood was rushing through her fast enough to blind her, each of her thrusts and Nikolai’s teases making it harder to stay quiet. She sank down fast and dropped her head back with a loud cry, giving up control to this. The utter pleasure of Nikolai fully inside of her, hitting all the right places, pushing all the right buttons. And all along he groaned under her, teasing her with his hands, moaning her name like a prayer he would never give up.

She wanted to scream with pleasure. She wanted to be so completely overwhelmed she would reconsider the act of walking all together. So she moved faster and faster, rocking hard against Nikolai as the two moaned and groaned each other’s names and begged for more and harder and more and harder and harder and harder and—“NIKOLAI!” She screamed so loud, so loud. Her throat was raw, her lungs empty, but it was so worth it.

As Nikolai’s own release met hers, Alina was sure her whole DNA had just vanished. And along with it, any thoughts and worries she might have had earlier that night. What had they been anyway? Nothing but a bump in the road, nothing but a reason to have even better sex tonight.

And Saints, it had been good. Really, really good.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh boi the friends have noticed Stuff ohhhh!!  
> thank the saints that Nikolai's so good and making Alina forget everything amirite??
> 
> feedback/comments/fangirling might help me ignore the fact that it's still too hot argh


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alina's thristy. As usual.
> 
> Also, interesting thoughts at the end of the night hmm

 

 

 

Four months had passed since their first night together. No one had wondered again about their cosiness, nor inquired about other options. And Alina was quite happy with it. She and Nikolai had a really good thing going on and she enjoyed the privacy of their secrecy. He was right, keeping it a secret was a major turn on.

So major, the thought of sneaking away halfway through a party at Genya’s felt like the hottest thing to do.

It was her friend’s official engagement party at last (saints know Genya and David had been struggling to find a night that everyone could attend) and after hours of laughing and eating and drinking and talking, Alina was dying for some one on one with Nikolai. And waiting to get home was out of the question.

“I thought you wanted to keep it a secret, sunshine…” Nikolai rasped against her lips, his complaints just an act as he kissed her back with as much passion as she kissed him. They’d sneaked to a room away from the party, taking turns to slip through the crowd before reuniting in this very room. It was dark and music still echoed around them, but it was also empty and offered just enough space for a quickie. His lips trailed down to her pulse, where he teased Alina with playful bites as he buried a hand deep in her hair and held her close.

Alina parted her lips in a moan, the way he cradled her nape so deliciously satisfying it was almost enough to keep her sated until they were back home. Almost. “Please, Nikolai. No one knows. No one is coming here.” She reached for his pants, “I need you right now. So badly.”

Nikolai chuckled against her skin, “How badly?”

“Badly enough to have my panties so soaking wet it’s a wonder no one has noticed it yet.” She rasped as she blindly pulled him free of his clothes.

“I have no condoms with me.” Nikolai said though he made no move to stop her as she wiggled out of her panties.

“I can take the pill tomorrow.” She pulled him down for a kiss, mouth open as their tongues were quick to meet and tease each other, “But right now, I need you inside of me.”

“As you wish, Alina.” He hoisted her up and eased into her with a slick and fast thrust. Both echoed a moan as Nikolai filled her completely.

“Saints, you feel so good…” Alina moaned with a smile. It always felt so good, the first moment he sank completely into her. Just, so deliriously good. To think she’d tried mildly satisfying lovers before Nikolai. What a waste of her time, when Nikolai was just so damn good.

“Thank you,” He pressed her against the wall, steadying the two, “But we must hurry before someone does notice we’re gone.”

Alina nodded fast, “Yes, please.”

Nikolai was quick to move, pulling out slowly before sinking into her fast enough to draw a gasped moan out of her. “Shh…” He teased her as he continued moving, his thrusts fast and slick and just hard enough to push all the buttons that had Alina moaning and almost screaming his name. Nikolai caught her mouth in a kiss, drinking in all of her moans as they moved together, faster and faster and faster.

Alina’s skin was hot and feverish with lust. Her breathing was laboured to the point of being just gasps for air, just gasps for Nikolai’s air. She was starting to see stars, lightheaded from their fast rhythm and from Nikolai’s never-ending kiss. His lips were gentle, a paradox to their hungry moves, but so right. So. Right.

“Saints…!” Nikolai gasped between kisses. He was close. And so was she. So, so close.

“Harder, Nikolai! Harder…!” She demanded before he kissed her again, thrusting his hips against hers so hard Alina fell over the edge in a heartbeat. Her cry was lost in his kiss, the sound gone as Nikolai’s own release came with a groan far too alluring for the place they were in. That sound only made Alina wish they were home in that moment, just so they wouldn’t have to stop.

Their breathing was so laboured and loud, it was a wonder they hadn’t been caught yet. Nikolai fashioned a goofy grin as he tucked her hair behind her ear and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, “Satisfied?”

Alina nodded, still drunk in the feel of him inside of her, “Very.” She sighed, “We should—”

“Hello?” A knock froze them in place. The knob was turned, “Why is this door locked? Is someone inside?” David!

Alina’s eyes grew the size of dishes as she scrambled to her feet and searched for her panties, “We can’t be seen here together!” She mouthed as Nikolai zipped his pants.

“What do you suggest?” He mouthed back and Alina almost cursed him aloud. Just like that, he was back to his pristine self. When she was sure anyone would need just a glance to know she had just had an incredible quickie.

“Hide!” She pointed at the dark curtains before turning to the door, where David continued complaining.

“Whoever is inside, please unlock this door. I have a very important item in there and I need it right now.”

Alina opened the door and flashed a very innocent smile at her friend, “David! I’m so sorry, I was, huh, tired and tried to take a nap.” Well, if that wasn’t cringe worthy, then she didn’t know what was.

David, however, seemed to find her excuse acceptable, “All right. I understand. But you didn’t have to lock it.” He said as he walked to his desk, completely unaware of Nikolai’s presence in the room. He whipped a velvet box out of a drawer and walked back to where Alina stood, “A present, for Genya.”

She nodded, “Oh! I’m sure she’ll love it.”

David hesitated on the threshold, “Are you returning to the party or going back to your nap?”

“Oh, I… I’m going, yes. Already rested enough anyway.”

He smiled and walked ahead, “Great! Genya was asking for you already.”

Alina’s voice shook with nerves, the stress of almost being caught – and by David of all people – getting the best of her, “Oh no, I must have been asleep for longer than I thought.”

“I’m sure she won’t mind if you tell her you were tired. She was just worried, I suppose.”

Alina smiled, hoping to all saints that David didn’t see right through her very fake smile, “Yeah, you’re right.” Tired. Oh yes. She was very tired. Now. After that fantastic quickie with Nikolai.

Where was he anyway? She hoped he was waiting long enough before following them or had found another way out of that room. Whichever was his option, it better raise zero suspicions.

 

* * *

 

“I still can’t believe you walked right after us and no one even saw a thing.” Alina muttered into her popcorn bowl, her eyes on Gene Kelly as he happily danced and sang under the pouring rain, “I can’t believe I was so horny that night that I almost got us caught!” She stuffed her mouth with popcorn and snuggled deeper into her blanket.

Nikolai chuckled and reached for some popcorn, “You really were rather horny that night. Your eyes were pitch-black. I was certain you’d have ripped my pants off if I hadn’t followed you soon enough.” He laughed louder when she punched his thigh, “Relax, I was just teasing. And it’s been a week, Alina. You can relax about it now, you know?”

She mumbled a curse and munched on more popcorn before speaking again, “I had a nightmare last night. We were there, butt-naked, and everyone walked in on us!”

Nikolai arched an eyebrow, “Butt-naked, huh?”

She cut him a glare, “ _That’s_ what you’re focusing on?”

He shrugged, “I find the set up quite interesting, that’s all.”

Instantly her cheeks fired up. Right. She was following him. In spite of everything, they hadn’t had sex against a wall yet. Well, naked. At home. Besides the one time at Genya’s. Why would they anyway? After all, they always had sex at home, where they had much more comfortable surfaces to do it on. Their beds, the sofa, Nikolai’s fluffy new carpet. And quite a few times on their table, yes. But they’d yet to christen their walls.

“You have the ‘I need sex right now’ look, Alina.” He said it as though he was telling her the weather forecast. The nerve. Planting the idea and then teasing her about it.

“I do not!” She enforced her denial by crossing her legs and keeping her eyes on the screen, “You’re the one with the dirty thoughts, not me.”

Nikolai settled back on his pillows and stretched his legs, drawing Alina’s attention to an area she was rather fond of, “I beg to differ, sunshine. I bet you are, right now, thinking of me. Naked. And the two of us, having sex.”

Saints, he loved teasing her about this, didn’t he? It shouldn’t surprise her, Nikolai always teased her about anything she might think of him after denying it completely. The movie cut to its next scene and she paused it with a loud and offended sigh, “Fine. I am. It’s your fault! You’re the one that pointed out that we hadn’t… christened our walls yet. Now I can’t stop thinking how hot that’ll be.”

Nikolai took her popcorn bucket off her hands and pulled her onto his lap, “Well, perhaps we can fact-check that right now.” He kissed her neck and a hand snaked under her pyjama shirt to rest on the small of her back, “What do you say, sunshine?”

A tiny moan grew in the back of her throat as he kept kissing her neck, that hand painfully frozen on its spot. She wanted it to move. She wanted him to cup her breast and tease it until she was moaning utter nonsense. Her nipples pinched in anticipation. “Saints, yes. Fact-check. Sounds good. Sounds great.”

Nikolai’s chuckle would have earned him a smack in any other situation, but in that moment it only turned her on even harder, “Christening our walls it is then. I suppose,” That hand finally moved, “We owe Gene Kelly an apology, don’t we?”

Alina arched her back as he cupped her breast at last and kneaded the soft skin, “Yes, I guess.” Saints, the way he touched her was maddening. Maddening! She knotted her hands deep in his hair and pulled at it softly, earning a harder squeeze on her breast, “Oh…!” She let out, surprised by the squeeze and how much she liked it. “Do it again…” She moaned, “Do it again, Nikolai…”

He squeezed again, following her pull of his hair, and Alina moaned louder this time. A lustful smile grew on her lips as they repeated this a few more times, this little play dousing her blood with gasoline, setting her up for what would come next once they moved on to a wall.

Alina pulled away a little, just enough to take off her shirt and lean back in to capture Nikolai’s mouth in a kiss. Her lips were hungry, gliding over his fast and pulling his lower lip between her own until the two could hold it back no longer and their clothes were gone in a flash.

“Saints, I love it when you pull my hair like that…” Nikolai rasped against her lips as he pressed her hard against the nearest wall.

“And I love the sounds you make when I do it.” She replied, pulling it once as he sank into her. Her pull brought forth a groan and a buck of his hips, bringing Nikolai halfway into her. She moaned and kissed him, “Oh, so good…”

Nikolai held her closer and sank deeper. A purr, delicious for her ears, grew in the back of his throat. “I agree, sunshine.” He traced her jaw with fast kisses, “We should have tried this sooner.”

“Oh, shut up and move, Nikolai.”

 

* * *

 

Alina woke up several hours later, her body wrapped in her sheets and Nikolai’s arms as rain fell outside in a steady but quiet rhythm. She blinked at her watch and saw it was very late in the night, but way too early to even think of waking up. A chill went up her spine and she pulled her sheets higher, careful to not wake Nikolai up as she snuggled deeper into her warm cocoon.

A yawn caught her attention and she looked up to find Nikolai still asleep and scratching his nose. Her lips tugged up on their own, an unexpected smile blooming at the sight. And with it, a dropping sensation on the pit of her stomach, as though she’d just walked off of a cloud when she’d expected to continue walking forever.

She blinked as a new knowledge slowly grew on the back of her mind. She liked this. Being in Nikolai’s arms. Watching him sleep. And yawn and scratch his nose. She might even like it more than sex with him. Certainly, Alina realised she liked bantering with Nikolai and laughing with him and watching movies in their pyjamas, all of that… somehow she liked all of that as much, or even more, than just sex with him.

“Oh no…” She whispered, “I think I’m in love…”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohohohoho alinaaaa u in it deeeeeep!!!! :3  
> but really, she's obviously the last one to realise what was going on. silly alina. 
> 
> feedback/comments/fangirling turns a dull day into a special day <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alina's still trying to deal with her feelings.  
> And a cameo of a beloved scientist.  
> And a return to a lovely city!

 

 

 

The weeks following her startling realisation were rather hard for Alina to pretend to be oblivious to that tiny little fact. It couldn’t be. She couldn’t be in love with Nikolai! One didn’t just fall for someone that provided great sex.

But Nikolai didn’t just provide great sex. And that was her problem, wasn’t it? They were best friends, they lived together, they knew all about each other. The facts were all laid out in plain sight. She just wanted to ignore them for as long as possible. Because, how could she ever face this change of plans?

“If it isn’t you, sunshine.” Nikolai looked up from his work desk and Alina had to fight the urge to blush. His hair was in disarray, his sleeves hastily rolled up to his elbows to reveal toned forearms and his eyes had that glint they always had when he was excited over a project. Saints. If she ever dared to face her feelings, she was in it for a ride.

Alina walked to him and dropped a lunch bag on the only empty spot his desk offered, “Lunch.”

“For me? You shouldn’t have!” He feigned surprise, going as far as peeking inside.

She rolled her eyes, “You told me to come to see your knew project. And suggested he have lunch here as well.”

Nikolai gasped, “Alina, sunshine! You’ll make David think less of me!” He said, his voice just a little high pitched just as David was walking by, having exited a side office after Alina’s arrival.

The tall inventor looked up from his notebook and blinked twice at Alina, “Oh, Alina. Hello. How are you?”

“Fine, thanks. And you?”

He seemed focused on his notes for a moment, “Oh, I have these calculations that aren’t working as predicted. Can’t sleep at all!”

Oh, she knew that. Genya had complained about him staying up all night, staring at his papers before redoing it all once more. “Maybe you should take a break from that. Do something else from the project and come back later when your mind is refreshed.”

David paused, pondering her suggestion. “Well, I always prefer to start a task and see it to its completion but maybe… I’ll try that. Thank you.” He nodded at her before going back into his office.

“Look at you, only five minutes in and you already helped David.” Nikolai tskd. He caught her hand and brought it to his lips, “Should I be worried?”

Alina fought the blush his kiss brought to her cheeks and took her hand back, “Nikolai!” She hissed, “David might see or hear us!”

Nikolai arched an eyebrow, “Is that a challenge?”

She bit her lip, fully aware of what he meant, “No…” She said, her voice sounding as unsure as she felt. Suddenly the idea of doing anything risqué with Nikolai while David was a few meters away locked in his office felt… Incredibly alluring.

The wicked smirk Nikolai flashed told Alina that he wasn’t about to ignore her hesitation. He pulled her in and settled her between his legs before pressing her back to his desk. His hands were on her waist, but she could feel them as though there was no fabric between their skins. “I have an idea…” He whispered before lifting her shirt just enough to kiss her stomach. A soft moan escaped her control and Alina had to hold on to his desk just to not melt to the ground.

“What idea?” If it involved pushing away all his tools and having sex on top of his desk… She was in. So badly.

“You and I, Venice. A week.” He dotted his ‘idea’ with kisses across her exposed skin, fingers wandering up her back.

That wasn’t sex on desk. “What?”

Nikolai looked up, “We’ve both been very busy with our jobs. I thought it wouldn’t hurt going on a small getaway trip, just to relax.”

“I… I can’t leave for a whole week, Nikolai.”

He nodded, “Yes, long enough for our colleagues to go mad and for our workplaces to catch fire instantly.” When Alina shot him a glare he just… chuckled, “Three days then. Though it’ll leave us barely any time to explore the city properly.”

She sighed, “Well, I can spare four days…”

Nikolai beamed, “Wonderful!”

“Nikolai, I think I have an idea for that intelligent bulb we were talking just yesterday…” David stopped in his tracks and frowned. “Alina?”

Alina got up from the other side of the desk, a random tool in her hand, “Oh, David! I pushed this on accident. Stupid…” She let out a nervous chuckle and prayed to all the Saints that her friend hadn’t just seen her bolt out of Nikolai’s embrace.

David blinked, “Oh. Don’t worry, happens a lot. I’ll come back later.”

“Don’t need. I was just about to… huh…”

David smiled and waved her off, “It’s all right, Alina. I understand.”

“You… You do?” Nikolai eyed him.

“Of course.” He seemed to not be inclined to explain what exactly he understood. Until he stopped on his tracks and turned back to them, “I do have to ask, how long have you two been together?”

If Alina had been drinking or eating anything, she would have spit it all a mile long. “What are you talking about?” She tried, a rather weak smile on her face.

David blinked, “Well, you two. I may miss quite a lot of social cues but I’m not blind, nor daft.” He pointed between them with his pen, “But if it’s a secret, I won’t tell anything. I was just wondering how long, because it’s always been a little hard to tell with you two.” He paused, “Well, Genya has always asked me if I knew anything, so I guess she planted the suspicion until I saw enough, but I digress…”

Alina was about to deny it all once more when Nikolai stood, “You swear you won’t tell anything?”

David looked offended at the thought of spilling the truth about this, “Of course, Nikolai!”

Then, Nikolai walked to Alina and pulled her in, sliding a hand around her waist, “We’ve been together for a few months now, if you must know. But we didn’t want anyone to know. You know how things get crazy when the tabloids think I’m dating anyone.”

“Yes, and then your mother…” David nodded in sympathy, “I won’t tell anything, don’t worry. But I will, huh,” he turned red up to his ears, “I’ll go for lunch earlier. Leave you two alone.” And then, before Alina could utter a word, David was gone.

“What the hell, Nikolai?” She pushed him away and tried to put a good angry distance between them, but Nikolai was quick to pull her back in.

He caught her eye and a sheepish smile grew on his lips, “I’m sorry for that. But David wasn’t about to believe us if we denied it. I know him.” He tugged on a lock of her hair softly, “I also know he won’t say a word about us. He’s good with secrets. Finding about them and keeping them.”

She deflated a little, “I suppose… I mean, I know. But…”

Nikolai pulled her closer and kissed her jaw, “And this is why we need that little getaway. You’re too stressed. You need to relax, Alina.”

She dropped her head back as he kissed her neck and moaned a little, “Fine, I suppose you’re right… Does your relaxing include actually sightseeing or are we just going to spend the whole trip in bed?” She said, her voice low and distracted as she searched for the hem of his shirt and pulled it up and away.

“Both, sunshine. I intend to show you the wonder that is Venice and the wonder that will be our lovely bed.”

“Can’t wait.”

 

* * *

 

“Normally I’d complain about the first day of holiday being stormy and rainy,” Alina said as they walked towards their room, “But Venice looks beautiful in the rain.”

Nikolai swiped his card and opened the door for her, “It really is. I hope it calms down a little so we can explore the city.” He placed their bags by the door and nodded at the window across from them, glass from ceiling to floor, “Too harsh right now for us to even peek outside.”

A thunderstorm had arrived in Venice about the same time as Alina and Nikolai. Strong wind and harsh rain had rushed them into their hotel. Alina’s first time seeing the magical city had been through the windows of their taxi, washed in rainwater. As much as she loved the sun, Alina couldn’t deny how beautiful the city looked in the rain. As though it was a whole different place from the one seen in movies and postcards.

She strolled through their room, eyeing the elegant furniture and the beautiful ceiling carvings. Nikolai started to whistle that off-tune song he always did when completely at ease. Alina saw him out the corner of her eye as he took their suitcases into their bedroom, just through a door of dark wood, decorated in swirls of golden carvings. From her spot in the sitting area, Alina caught a glimpse of a large bed, covered in pristine white sheets and gorgeous deep blue bedspread, also decorated in swirls of golden.

In a flash, two conflicting thoughts fought for control over her. To follow Nikolai and try that bed right now and for as long as the storm lasted. Or to admit out loud that she was in love with him. And maybe face the possibility of a rejection…

Rejection.

“So…” She leaned on the door, “I wonder if that bed is as comfortable as it looks.” Fear of rejection was stronger than anything else.

Nikolai looked from the suitcases and Alina saw a spark of lust start to ignite in his eyes, “Well… We could try it right now. That storm seems to be here to stay.”

“And with such harsh conditions outside, we really don’t have much to do, right?” She took of her coat and dropped it by the door, taking slow and deliberate steps in Nikolai’s direction.

His hazel eyes drew dark and the tip of his tongue peeked several times as he tried to no avail to wet his lips without her seeing. “I have a few ideas of things we could do…” His voice dropped an octave. Into that rasp that always had Alina biting down a moan.

“Like what?” They stood toe to toe now, both fighting to keep a casual stance, even though they were as breathless as if they’d just ran the marathon.

Nikolai reached for her braid and carefully undid it, his eyes focused on her locks for a long, long moment. He buried his hand in her hair as he finished his task and leaned in until their lips were just a breath apart, “The two of us, naked, under those sheets having sex until we collapse from exhaustion.”

Her eyes rolled in their sockets at the tone in his voice and the vivid picture it painted in her mind, “Sounds like my kind of idea.”

Alina had to thank that storm for its timing, or else she’d have to face some feelings instead of enjoying the wonderful session of sex Nikolai would give her the next few hours. Sure, the possibility of him reciprocating her feelings was a nice scenario, but on the flipside there was the possibility of rejection. And until Alina was ready to face either, she would enjoy Nikolai’s body until she couldn’t even crawl.

 

* * *

 

“Saints…!” Alina cried out again and again, holding tight to Nikolai as she rocked her hips fast against his. She dropped her head back and smiled as Nikolai followed her and kissed her neck and chest, until he was teasing her nipples with his tongue, pushing Alina closer and closer to the edge.

He sat on the edge of their bed, sheets completely trashed by now, and Alina was on his lap, holding on to dear life as her release drew closer by the second. Nikolai pulled her closer and kissed her collarbone, moaning her name again and again. Such a sweet, sweet sound it was to hear him moan her name like this. So raw, so desperate, so careless over who might hear it.

Thunder cracked outside. And Alina fell apart as well, crying out a wordless sound as her orgasm shook her so hard she saw stars. She might as well have become one, as her body had completely misted into stardust, fallen apart at every seam it had.

“Oh god… Alina… Alina…” Nikolai groaned as he came undone as well, Alina having continued moving for just a little longer. Just… a little… longer.

“Oh… That was…” She rasped, head on his shoulder as she tried to collect some air into her lungs. She really had enjoyed Nikolai to the fullest today. Alina hadn’t held anything back, teasing him and moving with him with as much passion as she could pour into each breath she drew. Avoiding certain feelings was a fuel perfect enough for passionate sex, it seemed. “Oh, that… that is a great mattress.”

“I agree. I must ask where they got it. To replace the ones back home.” His voice was just as worn out as she felt. But its hoarseness was easily missed as her brain focused on something else. Home. Why did such a simple word they’d always traded back and forth now sound so… different? Oblivious to her inner thoughts, Nikolai continued as he gently caressed her back, “That was possibly our best time yet, sunshine. But… I think I need to take a nap now.”

Thankful for this excuse, Alina nodded and slowly climbed off of him, “I agree. I’m completely spent.”

A strange smile grew on Nikolai’s lips, its foreignness quickly gone before Alina could catch it, and he pulled her into the cocoon of those very white and very expensive sheets, “Then a nap it is. Come, let’s test how good this bed is for its more innocent purpose.”

She rolled her eyes but gave him no reply as Nikolai pulled sheets and blanket over the two of them and carefully tucked her in her place.

“Sweet dreams, Alina.” He whispered before kissing her cheek and closing his eyes.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Venice once more!! I really loved writing [All's Fair in Love and War](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7609618) and wanted to do a little *wink wink* at it by having Nikolai and Alina revisit it, but I thought "why not in a different au?" and this happened :D
> 
> feedback/comments/fangirling keeps the monsters under the bed at bay


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still in Venice, some truths are finally made known.
> 
> Featuring a very embarrassed Alina upon learning of a little detail

 

 

 

Watching Nikolai sleep had become something so intrinsic to her daily life that now Alina couldn’t even imagine not doing this one little thing. Even if staring at him in the dim light of the early morning highlighted all of those feelings and thoughts that ran wild in her heart.

Coming on this getaway trip with Nikolai had been a terrible idea. It did her heart no good. It made her wonder if he was trying to woo her through his schemes. And then it made her wonder if he was just trying to give her a nice trip, offering a few days in the comfort of very expensive hotel sheets with sightseeing on the side.

And worst of it all, it made her more certain than ever that she really was deeply in love with him by now. So much, it was a herculean task on itself to hold the damning words back whenever he held her close or teased her, gave her an innocent kiss or made her come so hard she saw stars. The amount of times when her heart just wanted to scream those words was becoming… rather long.

Nikolai scrunched his nose and tucked a hand under his pillow as his lips curled into a tiny smile.

Alina sighed and laid on her back, trying to ignore him. She had to do something about this situation. Soon.

 

* * *

 

“Alina, sunshine. Look at these gorgeous masks,” Nikolai pointed at the several handmade Venetian masks that hanged on display in the small shop, all different from their neighbour. His attention fell on a fox mask, “Should I get this one?” His smirk was all kinds of mischievous, bringing Alina back to that one time she’d compared him to her favourite fairy tale and its main character.

She rolled her eyes and picked one of her own. It was half a sun, its golden rays so beautifully carved it almost made her weep. Its price almost made her weep as well, but luckily she’d saved enough for such an extravagance. “Do what you please, Nikolai. I got mine.”

Nikolai pouted and Alina found it really, really hard not to catch him by his neck and bring that pout to her mouth. “You will not help me choose my souvenir?”

Temptation sidestepped, Alina grabbed her mask and walked towards the exit, “No.”

 

* * *

 

Alina eyed the passing gondolas. It was their third day in Venice and the rainy clouds had cleared away. Her warring thoughts however… Had not. She poked her ice cream and cursed herself for being so distracted watching Nikolai out the corner of her eye that when questioned what she wanted, she’d blurted out “ice cream”. What. An. Idiot.

Sure, it was sunny now, but it was still too cold for ice cream.

Suddenly, Alina found herself wishing they’d stayed in their room earlier that morning. Nikolai had gone down on her in that way she loved so much, making her moan yes after yes like it was the only word in her vocabulary, and then they’d gone downstairs for actual breakfast. She’d been so flushed all throughout the meal, her mind and body still so in deep in their morning routines, that Alina finished her food faster just so she could drag Nikolai back to their room and give him her own little treat. Saints. The way he moaned her name… It was… If something so sinful could ever be called a miracle, that was it.

“Something wrong with your ice cream, Alina?” Nikolai poked her side, a teasing grin hiding behind his words.

“I… didn’t really want ice cream.” She confessed and tossed it into the nearest bin.

Nikolai nodded, faking his most innocent and understanding expression. But Alina could see the way his eyes twinkled with mischief. He knew why she’d asked for ice cream. Bastard. He caught her hand and laced them together, and Alina almost lost her lungs in that flick of a second.

This was new.

Very new.

Outside of a bedroom, of course.

Holding hands in such an innocent and sweet manner? Oh dear saints above, her poor little questioning heart was going to collapse, for sure.

He leaned in, “We should take a gondola trip before going back home, no?” That word again. Home.

Alina nodded, “Yeah, sounds good.”

“Alina…” Nikolai stopped under an old archway, staying away from passers-by.

“Yes?” She tried to keep her voice steady, but his sudden change of tone threw her off. What was going on?

“Is everything all right? You seem a little… distracted.”

She scoffed, “I’m just taking in the sights.”

“I see. Like you did this morning when you decided to go down on me like that?” He flashed a knowing smirk at her surprised gasp, “Don’t think I haven’t noticed how, when you’re not the one distracted by something, you do your very best to keep me distracted. Don’t get me wrong,” He brushed his thumb over her knuckles and Alina almost moaned out loud, “I love your distraction methods, but… I can’t help but wonder.”

Alina shook her head and, much to her eternal suffering, she disentangled their hands, “You’re imagining things, Nikolai.”

“Really?”

“Yes!”

“Alina, I’ve known you for long enough to know when you’re lying, pretending something or evading a question.”

She shot him a glare, “Are you calling me a liar?”

Nikolai seemed to not even see her glare, “No, just pointing out how cleverly you’ve been evading some questions I make.”

Alina was starting to lose her patience. Where the hell was he going with his? “I haven’t done any of that!”

“Really? Because every time I ask what’s on your mind, for example, you find some way to not reply to it at all.” When Alina refused to reply, he continued, “Alina.” Still, she pretending he wasn’t even there, “Are you mad about the receptionist flirting with me the first morning?”

Just like that, her gaze was back on him, “What?” She hissed.

“Are you jealous?”

She scoffed, “Me? Jealous? Why would I be jealous?” Was her voice a little pitchier?

Nikolai held back a grin, “You sound like it.”

“Well, I am not!”

“Then—”

“I’m in love with you, ok?!” Alina gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth, even if it was a little too late. Had she…? Had she really just said that out loud? Had Nikolai pushed enough of her buttons to find the one that let out those words? Oh no. Now Nikolai knew. Now he would either reciprocate or refuse her and she would die of embarrassment and heartbreak.

She dared looking at him.

Nikolai seemed to be just as surprised with her outburst as she was. Until his surprise morphed into a smile, one a tad too insufferable. “I know.”

She blinked, “What?” Nikolai just smiled, “You…” Alina stopped breathing, “That night… You heard me?”

For the first time in ages, Nikolai looked bashful as he looked down for a moment and played on the ground with the tip of his shoe, “I actually thought I had dreamed it. But then… I noticed some changes. Tiny ones, hard to see, but still there. You didn’t hold my eye the same way anymore. Your blushes were a little more frequent. And the way you said my name…” His eyes found hers and Alina stopped breathing, “It was as though it was your favourite sound to make. And I don’t mean when we’re having sex. Or at least, just when we’re having sex.”

She shushed him, breaking her stupor as he continued mentioning sex out in the open street while other tourists passed so close to them. “Don’s say that!”

Nikolai chuckled, “Why not?”

“Because…” She shook her head and turned away. “If you’re going to mock me, don’t. I value our friendship too much to break it off because you don’t feel the same way.”

For a moment that seemed to last forever, all Alina heard were the sounds of Venice all around them. Tourists and locals, music and laughter, water playing with the gondolas, birds out and about. And then a hand was on her chin, tipping her gaze towards Nikolai. He stood so close now, it was impossible for Alina not to lose herself in those eyes of his. They really were the most beautiful eyes she’d ever seen. A sea of deep green and dark, mysterious browns, dotted with bits of gold here and there. In the dark they looked like the sea in a moonless night. In the light they looked like liquid amber. Right now the green won the stage, and it seemed to be closer than before. “Alina…” Nikolai started, her name just a whisper, “I would never mock you or your feelings, sunshine.” He shook his head and leaned closer, his forehead grazing hers, “I love you too much to even ponder doing it.”

Time stopped.

“You…” She tried, but her throat seemed to fail her. No words, not even sounds, just enough breath to keep her alive. Had he really…? Nikolai… loved her? She tried again, “Please tell me you’re not joking.”

Nikolai chuckled and his breath tickled her lips, “I would never joke about this, Alina. I really do love you, sunshine.” His voice dropped to a murmur, “Very, very much…” And then he kissed her.

Alina had fantasized many times about this lovely scenario of her feelings being mutual, but none of her fantasies could ever compare to reality. Nikolai’s lips glided slowly over hers, massaging them until Alina was parting her mouth and letting him in with a moan.

She circled his neck and pulled him closer and Nikolai was quick to follow her lead, blindly pressing her back to the wall as they deepened the kiss. They kissed for long enough for Alina to memorize all the tiny details about the way he fit her so well, all the moans Nikolai set free every time she teased him with the tip of her tongue, all the stars he put in her own little private sky with this one magnificent kiss.

Breathless enough to need to hold on to the wall, the two finally broke apart with matching stupid grins. Nikolai was the first to speak, “What a wonderful kiss, sunshine.” His voice was hoarser than Alina had ever heard, even after their most… thirsty sessions. It made her stupidly lightheaded.

“I’d like that gondola ride now…” She let out and even though her eyes were still closed after the kiss, she could almost see Nikolai’s grin.

“Of course, my love. A gondola ride right away.”

“And then we go back to the hotel.”

His voice grew a little huskier, “Of course.”

 

* * *

 

Alina had always thought that being utterly in love was just a fairy tale, or even something only folks like Genya got to experience. But lying there on that gondola, safely tucked in Nikolai’s embrace as they saw the city through the gondolier’s eyes, she figured her original guess was a bit off. Because she couldn’t stop smiling or looking back at Nikolai every two seconds. Because her heart seemed to grow twice its size every time Nikolai whispered her name or called her sunshine or just flashed at her that smitten smile of his. Because right now she was experiencing this feeling and it felt so right, so… so natural and simple.

“What is it?” Nikolai whispered when she started to ignore the city just to watch the way his eyes lit up whenever he found something beautiful to look at.

Alina shook her head, “Nothing. I just…” She played with the buttons of his shirt, “I can’t believe this is really happening.”

“Likewise. Though I had hoped for it for long.”

“Genya will have a fit.” She said with a snort, remembering all of her friend’s suspicions and ill-timed excited congratulations.

“Perhaps.” Nikolai tipped her chin to place a soft kiss on her lips and Alina closed her eyes to savour its tenderness, and the way such a simple kiss could hold so much emotion in it.

 

* * *

 

Rain fell steady outside, its soft rhythm quiet beyond the closed windows.

Nikolai laid Alina on their bed and kissed her lips, hands cupping her face for a moment before he began wandering down, exploring her naked body. His mouth followed after a while, tracing invisible lines all over her skin with the pace of a quiet sea, licking at the shore in lazy strokes.

Alina arched her back, mouth open in a silent moan as Nikolai’s patient exploration worked wonders to turn her blood into fire kindle, ready to burn at any moment. Every nerve in her body was attuned to his touch and his kisses and his, oh… his words. Little whispers of love and promises of wonders, a joke here and there quickly followed by her name, her name, her name. Nikolai was worshipping her as though she was a mighty deity and he but a mere mortal.

“Saints, Alina…” Nikolai rasped against her inner thigh, having kissed all over leg, from toe to that little sweet spot before her centre. “I love you so much, sunshine. So much…”

Alina passed her fingers through his hair, and writhed in anticipation, “I love you too, Nikolai. I love you too… But please… Please!”

Her pleas were met with a playful tongue, teasing her with quick flicks and long, lazy swirls, all drawing moan after moan out of her mouth. Alina had always been very aware of Nikolai’s tongue and its skills but tonight it was a little more… Sinful, somehow. It was as though he’d been holding something back before this night. Before their feelings were pushed outside of their cocoons, before they had finally admitted to each other that this little arrangement of theirs went beyond a physical attraction.

“Do you want to come?” He said and kissed her centre.

Alina nodded, “Yes, Nikolai. I’m so… so close. Please. I love you. Please.”

He chuckled before putting his tongue back where she needed it the most, his new rhythm a little less merciful. Soon Alina was clawing at the sheets, back arched, mouth open and moaning a loud yes as her release finally came.

“I love it when you do that.” Nikolai whispered as he came back into view and kissed her cheek.

Alina almost cried at the tenderness of this kiss. “What?”

He played with her hair for a moment, “When you don’t hold back. When you don’t care where we are and just… Let it out.” He pecked her lips, “It’s really, really sexy.”

She rolled her eyes and reached between them, straight to her target. Nikolai widened his eyes and let out a surprised moan when she fondled him. She smiled, a smile so overly innocent it was every bit as mischievous as Nikolai’s trademark smirk, “And I love it when you do that.”

Nikolai’s eyes rolled in their sockets as she kept fondling him, pulling groaned moans out of him like he was her very private musical instrument. He strained to speak, “Saints… I’m guessing you’re not speaking of my playing with your hair.”

Alina bit her lip and played with his tip for a little longer before answering, “Well, I really like that too. But yeah, I meant your moans.” She drew away and Nikolai let out a sigh that was both of relief and regret. “Nikolai…?”

Hazel eyes met hers, “Yes, sunshine?”

“I love you so much. It’s been driving me crazy to think you could not love me back.”

He pressed his forehead to hers, “Don’t think about it anymore, Alina. I love you too, I can’t even imagine not loving you. You are… my very own sunshine. The only one… The only…” With a slow roll of his hips he sank into her, holding his breath until he was completely inside, until Alina let out a sigh of utter satisfaction. “The only one, Alina. I love you, I love you…” He whispered again and again, slowly drawing out and back in, his rhythm so slow it was pure torture.

Except Alina enjoyed it very much. The slow rolls of his hips, the rawness of his voice as he moaned her name and how much he loved her, the way his eyes always found hers when he opened them, the way his body fitted her to perfection, the way his very smile made her heart beat faster and faster.

“Oh… Nikolai…! Nikolai…!” Alina moaned, a little louder when their pace picked up a little, their bodies aching for release. Nikolai laced their hands over her head and moved a little faster, their grip tightening with each new roll of their hips, with each new stroke, with each new moan.

Closer and closer, they toed the edge with their slow rhythm, neither wanting this moment to ever end. To be so close to each other, to share this rawness of their hearts so openly and unrestrained. All their quickies paled when compared this. If those had been hot, then this… this was scorching. Blazing. Every synonym she could ever find. It was that good. That magical.

“I love… I love you…!” She moaned before falling over the edge at last, Nikolai’s name a cry on her lips as he followed her virtually at the same time.

He cried out her name and dropped his head on the crook of her neck, rolling his hips still as the two rode the last waves of their orgasm.

 

* * *

 

“How long?” Alina said in a whisper as she drew invisible lines on Nikolai’s chest. Rain poured outside, heavier now than hours ago, and thunder cracked in the distance, a low and lazy rumble.

“What do you mean?” Nikolai asked, a hand halfway through stroking her hair.

Alina closed her eyes when he continued, this little gesture so soothing it was better than any lullaby she’d ever heard. “You said you’d been waiting for this for a while. How… How long?” She finally said and looked up to meet his eye.

Nikolai took a breath, pausing before answering her. Then, “About a year. A little over a year, actually.”

Her breath caught, “So when I… When I proposed we have sex…?”

He nodded, a sheepish smile tugging on his lips, “Yes, sunshine.” Alina groaned and tried to hide under the sheets, though Nikolai refused to let her run and hide, “Now, why are you hiding?”

“Because I’m a horrible person!”

Nikolai chuckled, “Really? Why is that?”

“I proposed you sex with no strings attached when you already had feelings for me!” She let out in a shrill, finally giving up her plan to hide.

His smile remained as insufferable as ever, “But you didn’t know, sunshine.”

“Still! I… I used you!”

Nikolai cupped her cheek and pulled her in for a kiss, “Alina, you didn’t know. All things considered, none of us had romantic feelings for each other and we both were looking for a good time. Plus, you didn’t force me to do anything, all right? It takes two, remember.”

“Why did you say yes, though? You could have said no, saved yourself the crazy situation of being…” She took a breath, still lightheaded from this surprising turn of events, “Being in love with me and… and being in a purely sexual relationship with me.”

“Well,” He tucked a lock of her hair behind an ear and caressed her cheek, the soft gestures sending her heart into a mini heart attack, “Your arguments were quite… convincing.” He finally said, his tone so suggestive there was really no point in the euphemism.

“Oh, I really am a horrible person…” She groaned again.

“Because you suggested we have sex and offered me a sneak peek of what it would be like?” Alina could hear the grin in his voice, even if she had covered her eyes by now. “Alina, I could have said no. You didn’t force me to do anything. I… I admit I had been dreaming of it for a while now. Saints know how many times I had to cover my face with my pillow…” He added under his breath and suddenly Alina felt a little better. After all, she had done plenty of _that_ as well. “So when you made your proposal… It really took little for me to say yes. Even if I was fully aware that just one night would never be enough.”

“We didn’t have just one night.” She whispered.

“And I can’t tell you how… happy, let’s say, I was when you made that second proposal.”

Alina rose on her elbow, “But… It was just sex. Nikolai…”

“Was it, really?” He arched an eyebrow. “It was never just sex. If anything, it was a little bit more of you I got to have and save in my heart.” He smiled, “Plus, I may have no experience with this sort of arrangement, but I’m certain half the things we did were unusual in other friends with benefits arrangements.”

Alina opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Slowly she backtracked their months of sex and went through all their interactions. Foreplay was always there and expected, but… The cuddling and the caresses. The hand holding. The tiny gestures and excuses to touch each other in any given moment. All the things their friends had pointed out as proof that they were together. “Oh…” She closed her eyes and dropped back on her pillow. Had she been so blind all this time? Had everyone but her seen what was happening?

Nikolai chuckled, “What is it now, sunshine?”

“I just realised I may have been in love with you for longer than I thought.” She let out, eyes locked on the elegant ceiling.

He hummed in agreement, “Yes, I’m afraid that might be true.”

She looked at him, “You said you didn’t know until I said it that night.”

“But all our friends suspected we were together. Not that it was a one-sided deal.” He pointed out. “Chances are they saw enough to guess we were both in love with each other.”

Alina sighed, “What now?”

Nikolai rolled to his side and put his head on his hand, “What do you mean?”

“What do we tell them? Because now… now it makes no sense to keep it a secret anymore. We’re not just… sex buddies anymore.”

He nodded and reached to flick one of her nipples. Alina yelped and swatted at his hand as the two burst into laughter. After a moment and when nothing but lonely chuckles filled the room, Nikolai spoke, “Well, we can always tell them they were right. That we were together but wanted to keep it a secret for a while.” He caught her hand and brushed his thumb over her knuckles, “No need to tell them it was purely physical if you don’t want to.”

Alina watched him as he showered her with caresses, their tenderness so sweet it almost overwhelmed her with how much he loved her and how much she loved him back. She blinked back a few unexpected tears, “I don’t mind telling them. Just… Let’s not tell them how long it took us to get here.”

“Well, considering your horny eyes after the gondola ride, I’m sure no one will blame you for practically running back to the hotel, sunshine.”

She rolled her eyes and pushed him, “You idiot.”

Nikolai fell back with ease, obviously happy to let her do whatever she wanted to do. Alina just laid her head on his chest, though she felt half temped to straddle him in that moment. He brushed his knuckles over her cheek and smiled a smile that threatened to take her breath away, “One that’s very much in love with you, Alina.”

Sleep heavy on her eyes, Alina let them fall shut, “Saints, you’re such a nerd.”

“Proudly so.” He said. Then she felt something warm covering her and she realised he was probably pulling the sheets over her shoulders. She snuggled a little closer to him and let out a happy sigh once she was safely tucked in.

“I wish we could stay here a little longer.” She mumbled through her sleepy tongue, “Tomorrow is our last day.”

“We could always stay a little longer, Alina. We just have to make a few calls, if you want to stay.”

She nodded, “Sounds good to me.”

“Then in the morning we’ll make those calls, yes?”

“After breakfasts.”

Nikolai chuckled, “Breakfasts?”

“Yes. Food and sex.” She was so sleepy by now, it was a wonder she was still able to speak coherently.

Nikolai kissed her crown and wrapped his arms around her body, “Very well. Food and plenty of love-making before we make those calls, as per my love’s orders.” He kissed her crown again, “Goodnight, Alina.”

“Goodnight, Nikolai. I love you.”

“I love you too, sunshine.”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh the lovebirds are finally and openly together :') took them a while huh? 
> 
> feedback/comments/fangirling is such a precious thing, right?
> 
>  
> 
> PS: fear not, I have another short nikolina thing ready to post and.... *drum roll* a LONG FIC! :D

**Author's Note:**

> who's excited for more fun times??? raise your hands!!
> 
> feedback/comments/fangirling could really help with my current feeling-like-useless-trash mood


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